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Buying a home in Saint Elmo, Illinois

The typical owner-occupied home in Saint Elmo is worth about $82,600, 69% below the Illinois median of $263,300 and 75% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,116 a year in property taxes, about 1.35% of their home's value, lower than the Illinois rate of 2.01%. The median household earns $45,294 a year, so the median home costs 1.8 times the median income (3.2 times for Illinois). 82% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 53% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Saint Elmo at a glance

Saint Elmo Illinois U.S.
Median home value $82,600 $263,300 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $1,116 $5,298 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.35% 2.01% 0.94%
Median household income $45,294 $83,390 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 82% 67% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 53% 61% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $935 $1,987 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 25.2% 20.6% 21.0%
Median rent $762 $1,274 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 24.6% 29.1% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1954 1971 1980
Vacant homes 10.6% 7.7% 10.1%
Population 1,257 12,694,798 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Saint Elmo

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Saint Elmo home of $82,600 with 20% down costs about $572 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $709, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $24,508 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 15% of the median Saint Elmo household income of $45,294; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $153,000.

The median rent here is $762 a month, a little more than the monthly cost of owning the median home with 20% down.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$16,520
Loan amount$66,080
Principal and interest$445
Property taxes (1.35% a year)$93
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$34
PMI$0
Total per month$572

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$2,891
Loan amount$81,104
Principal and interest$546
Property taxes (1.35% a year)$93
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$34
FHA mortgage insurance$37
Total per month$709

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Questions about home buying in Saint Elmo

What is the median home value in Saint Elmo?

About $82,600 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Saint Elmo?

Homeowners pay a median $1,116 a year, which is about 1.35% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Saint Elmo?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $572 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $24,508 a year.

More about Saint Elmo

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data